By Armando Paz : Sugar Ray Robinson is simply regarded the greatest pound for pound fighter that has ever lived to many who follow the sport. Robinson had a great chin, incredible hand speed, great reflexes, and power in both hands. In other words, he had all the essential ingredients to be a legendary fighter. Robinson fought in an era where guys fought every month simply to pay their bills and support their families. There were only 8 divisions and one champion for each division.
Robinson would end his career by defeating 10 fighters who would later be inducted to the International Boxing Hall of fame. Some of those fighters include notables as Henry Armstrong, Kid Gavilan, Jake Lamotta, Carmen Basillo, Randy Turpine, and Gene Fullmer. He had only one loss after 131 fights, and that was when he loss to Jake Lamotta who weighed 17 pounds heavier and two higher weight classes. Robinson would avenge that loss by beating Lamotta four times.
In 200 professional fights, Robinson only had one fight end in a technical knockout loss, and that was when heat exhaustion made him quit in his stool against Joey Maxim for the Light Heavyweight championship, a fight most observers had him winning and the judges score cards all corroborate that sentiment. It’s important to remember there were no Junior Welterweight, Junior Middleweight, and Super Middleweight divisions when Robinson began his career as a Junior Welterweight. With the current paper title and alphabet soup belts it is likely that Robinson could be a fighter that could have captured titles in six divisions.
Mayweather is technically a more proficient fighter at defense than Robinson. Robinson certainly got hit more often, but Robinson’s great chin and conditioning mitigated the issue of getting hit. The fact is that Robinson would systematically break down a fighter and was more offensive oriented unlike Mayweather who is now more a counter puncher. Early in his career as a Super Featherweight he initiated action and had great power as. his virtuoso performance against Diego Corrales where he dropped Corrales five times, but that now seems an eternity away. Mayweather’s KO ratio has severely dropped as a welterweight as he lost power.
Mayweather has not fought the competition that Robinson did. Mayweather didn’t fight Kostya Tszyu at Junior welterweight, but Arturo Gatti who he classified as a “paper champion”. There is no Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, or Paul Williams on his resume either. If fighting Williams seems ludicrous due to size than what does that make Robinson fighting Maxim or Sugar Ray Leonard fighting a naturally bigger and devastating puncher like Thomas Hearns look like back in 1981?
The few Hall of fame guys Mayweather fought were either pass their prime or weight classes above their best weight. Shane Mosley was coming off a long hiatus and at age 38 was not in his prime, and De La Hoya was not a mere shadow of the fighter who beat names as Chavez, Whitaker, and Quartay a decade earlier. When Mayweather defeated Juan Manuel Marquez it was at a catch weight at welter, Marquez most notable fights were either three or four weight classes south of the Welterweight division. Those are possibly the only three shoe ins for the IBHOF that Mayweather beat. Fighters as Diego Corrales, Rickey Hatton, and Genaro Hernandez are on the bubble for IBHOF consideration.
I don’t think Mayweather has accomplished nearly enough to even be in the same class as Pernell Whitaker or Sugar Ray Leonard let alone guys like Sugar Ray Robinson or Muhammad Ali. Pernell Whitaker fought great competition and even past his prime would go into the ring with the much younger De La Hoya and Trinidad and last the distance. He beat Buddy McGirt, Roger Mayweather, Jose Luis Ramirez, and surprised many when he won the Light Middleweight title against Julio Cesar Vazquez who was 53-1 and seen as too strong for the 5 feet 5 Whitaker. Most Importantly, Whitaker fought his biggest adversary at the time Julio Cesar Chavez who was 87-0 at the time and although scored a draw, it was apparent to many that Whitaker clearly was the victor. Mayweather has not one fight that comes close to the performance Whitaker had on Chavez. Once again, this is why he needs the Manny Pacquiao fight to prove he beat the biggest competitor at the time.
Mayweather in the infamous interview with the Rugged Man mocked Sugar Ray Leonard stating that “Leonard was knocked out by a natural Lightweight Hector Macho Camacho” when he made the ill advised comeback in 1996. Leonard was also a champion in 5 different weight classes but look at his most significant victories. Wilfred Benitez was a young child prodigy in the pugilistic game. At the age of 15; he was beating men much older than him with his defensive wizardry and counter punching ability. Benitez would be the youngest champion in boxing history at age 17 when he beat Antonio Cervantes, and later would capture the welterweight title against Carlos Palomino.
The first man to record a win against Benitez would be Sugar Ray Leonard in 1979. Like a true champion despite winning in points Leonard would finish the champion by knocking him out in the remaining seconds of the 15th round. Leonard would avenge his only loss not only by beating Roberto Duran when he was 72-1, but also making him quit with the infamous “No Mas.” Duran who fought guys like Hagler, Marcel, Moore, Dejesus, Buchanan, and Cuevas never before or after was made to quit by those fighters.
In addition, Leonard would beat an undefeated Thomas Hearns who Bob Arum once said “nobody is going to ever beat this kid”, despite being behind in points and barely seeing in one eye the sugar man would turn from boxer to puncher and stop Hearns in Round 14. Leonard years later would do the impossible by being the first to beat Marvin Hagler in nearly 12 years and ending his Middleweight title defense streak at 12. Those are wins against four men who one can argue are top 60 pound for pound in the history of the sport. All four are first ballot IBHOF inductees. Leonard would also score wins over Ayub Kalule who was an undefeated southpaw junior middleweight champion and Donnie Lalonde a light heavyweight champion who had a major height and reach advantage over Leonard. Mayweather’s major undefeated conquests Corrales and Hatton are not in the same breath as Hearns and Benitez let alone guys like Hagler and Duran.
Muhammad Ali at the time known as Cassius Clay was not expected to beat the goliath known as Sonny Liston back in 1964 for the heavyweight title. Ali won the Olympic Gold Medal as a Light Heavyweight back in 1960, and was seen as a small frame Heavyweight, and many felt Liston’s power would simply be too much for Ali. But
Ali did as he predicted which is to “shock the world” and letting Liston see “heaven by knocking him out in seven.” This would only be the start for the most iconic figure in boxing history. Future victims would include notables as Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell, Jerry Quarry, and Oscar Bonavena. Many of these would be Heavyweight champions in more watered down eras or modern alpha belt soup title systems which include 4 major champions for each division. After the hiatus due to being stripped of his titles regarding the Vietnam draft, Ali would suffer his first loss to Joe Frazier. Ali would avenge that loss and fight the perceived invincible George Foreman in 1974 who was (40-0 38 KO’s). Many thought that Foreman was too much as he destroyed both Ken Norton and Joe Frazier in two rounds each, and triangle theorists felt that if Ali needed to go the distance with Frazier; what would Foreman do who crushed Frazier in two rounds? Ali would implement the rope a dope strategy and make Foreman punch himself out and than knock out Foreman in 8 rounds. Ali would later on score wins against top champions and contenders as Ron Lyle, Jimmy Young, Ken Norton, Ernie Shavers, and Leon Spinks. From the beginning to the end of his career he defeated 7 hall of famers including Archie Moore, Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Bob Foster, and Ken Norton. He was champion in three different eras. Unfortunately, he stood in the sport too long and took unnecessary losses against Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.
Mayweather never has been tested or taken the risks that these four fighters have. Mayweather has the technical skills to challenge those great resumes but hasn’t fought the competition they have. He may not have the power that Ali, Robinson, and Leonard had, but he certainly had more power than Pernell Whitaker. But overall skills are secondary to big wins and May weather’s resume simply can’t hold a candle to those 4 all time greats. It would be unfair to say what the Rugged Man said which is “your undefeated because you fight expletive” but one says you are better than Robinson and Ali you would anticipate much greater challenges in a career.
This is why in sports there is a World Series, NBA Finals, World Cup, Stanley Cup Playoffs, and a Super Bowl to ensure the best go against the best. Floyd Mayweather Jr. has the skills to rival the greats past and present, but he must make the case by beating the best and an excellent start is by proving he is the current pound for pound best by defeating Manny Pacquiao a fight which he has bragged “would be an easy fight.”